Gozitan artists display realities and aspirations at the european parliament

Gozitan artists Christopher Saliba, Rachel Galea, Manuel Farrugia and Anthony Caruana are exhibiting 24 works of art embracing change in Gozo at the European Parliament in Brussels. The exhibition focuses on the work in progress of Gozitan artists as they develop their idiom in a dialectic between a past that relied on protected traditions, and a changing present and future.

“This is an excellent opportunity for us artists to address the issue of people living in Gozo to strike the right balance between salvaging their identity and meeting the demands and expectations of contemporaneity”, artist Christopher Saliba told journalists in Brussels.

Minister for Gozo Justyne Caruana, who declared the exhibition open, said the Gozitan artists’ exhibits represent a small island brimming with artistic and creative talents.
“Paintings are the language of a human mind and heart that narrate our smiles and tears, our anxieties and aspirations.” remarked Minister Caruana.
Former Prime Minister and Maltese MEP Alfred Sant, who invited the Gozitan artists to exhibit their artistic creations, said that constrained by a double insularity, the small island community of Gozo faces the ongoing challenges created by post modernisation and a need to adapt to economic and social discontinuities.
“The artists of Gozo have been giving witness to the experiences deriving from these challenges that have also affected – and are still affecting in a significant manner – the identity and cultural profile of their island.” said Dr Sant.
The exhibition was coordinated and set up by Curator Manwel Grima.

Alfred Sant is Head of the Maltese Delegation in the S&D Group in the European Parliament. He was elected as an MEP in June 2014. He is also a member on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and a member on the Delegation for relations with the United States. Read more